Caitlin Clark has been at the forefront of propelling the WNBA to unprecedented popularity. And popular radio host Charlamagne tha God said he believes the reason the Indiana Fever star has become incredibly popular is mainly because she is white.
Charlamagne tha God made his comments during an interview with late-night host Bill Maher, as Charlamagne compared Clark’s burgeoning celebrity status to that of Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson.
Wilson was just as dominant as Clark during his college career. Wilson was so influential to South Carolina that Colonial Life Arena in Columbia has erected a statue outside its doors in his honor.
Clark should have a statue of his own built in Iowa City someday, but it only indicates how transcendent Wilson was, especially playing for Dawn Staley amid the Gamecocks’ dominance in recent years.
Wilson has continued to be one of basketball’s best as a two-time WNBA MVP. She didn’t get even an eighth of the attention Clark gets. Maher and Charlamagne asked if she had anything to do with Clark’s race.
Clark has helped the WNBA reach unprecedented popularity since joining the Indiana Fever.
Charlamagne, God thinks Clark is popular mainly because she’s white.
“A’ja Wilson was the big thing when she came out of South Carolina … and she didn’t understand all that,” Charlamagne said.
—So, what do you attribute that to? I mean, are you saying that’s racism? Maher questioned.
‘No, I’m not saying it’s racist. “I’m just saying that I think A’ja Wilson is right and I think that sometimes, you know, black women say certain things, we should listen to them, especially her because I’m not in her shoes,” Charlamagne responded.
‘But why was Serena Williams such a big star? Because people like that. They weren’t watching her because she was black, right? Maher added.
Williams was tennis’ biggest star and best player for more than a decade, and he was black in a sport dominated by whites.
The opposite is true for Clark, as the majority of the WNBA are black women.
Williams herself recently commented on TIME about Clark’s rise to fame, apparently in agreement with Maher.
“If people are negative it’s because they can’t do what you do,” Williams said.